Trajectories of Intergenerational Emotional Closeness in Multi-Child Aging Families in China.

Intergenerational emotional closeness (IEC) in multi-child families manifests not only in the overall parent-child relationship but also by the extent of its within-family differentiation. This study aimed to identify distinct trajectories of collective IEC in multi-child families and to examine its potential associated factors. The study used four waves of the China Family Panel Studies (2010-2018). Based on a sample of 3474 older adults (age >60), growth mixture modelling and logistic regression were conducted. Two latent trajectory patterns of IEC were identified: increasingly tight-knit (93%) and persistently collectively ambivalent (7%). Compared to the latter trajectory, older adults who had a married/cohabiting partner, had better health and received support from all children, were more likely to have increasingly tight-knit trajectories of IEC. The study tells a story more about emotional cohesion between Chinese older adults and multiple offspring over time. Aging families experiencing persistently collectively ambivalent IEC deserve more attention.

Intergenerational Interactions and Relationship Quality: A Daily Study Among Mothers and Their Adult Children.

OBJECTIVES: The parent-child relationship is one of the most long-lasting relationships in human life. Such relationship is particularly adaptive during public health emergencies that threaten human life. However, few studies have examined the effects of daily exchanges in support between aging parents and adult children on the relationship quality during public health emergencies. Using data collected during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, we examined the relationship between daily support and relationship quality among middle-aged and older mothers and adult children. METHODS: Seventy-seven dyads of middle-aged and older mothers (age range: 44-80 years, Mage = 53.78, SDage = 9.57) and adult children (age range: 18-54 years, Mage = 26.61, SDage = 9.46) participated in the study. They reported their daily exchanges with the other (i.e., support they had received from and given to each other) and daily relationship quality (i.e., relationship satisfaction and trust) each day for 14 consecutive days. RESULTS: The perception of being underbenefited on Day N was associated with daily relationship satisfaction on the concurrent day in children but not mothers. It was associated with daily trust toward the relationship partner in both mothers and children on Day N. Both providing and receiving more support on Day N was associated with better relationship satisfaction for both mothers and children on Day N. Only receiving (not providing) more support on Day N was associated with greater trust toward the partner on Day N for both mothers and children. The time-lagged associations were not significant. DISCUSSION: The findings highlight the importance of daily reciprocity and daily support exchanges on relationship quality during a public health emergency.

The association between intergenerational relationships and depression among older adults: A comprehensive systematic literature review.

OBJECTIVE: This systematic review aims to comprehensively examine the relationship between intergenerational relationships and depression among older adults in Eastern Asian countries. METHODS: For this research, a systematic search was conducted on several electronic databases including PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar search engine up until June 2023. RESULTS: Out of 953 articles initially identified, 33 met the inclusion criteria. Emotional support and financial support emerged as crucial factors that can significantly reduce depressive symptoms among older individuals. However, there are diverse and sometimes contradictory results regarding the impact of intergenerational instrumental support on depression in older adults. CONCLUSION: Promoting positive intergenerational relationships and enhancing support systems can greatly benefit the mental health of older adults by addressing depression within this population. This review enhances our understanding of the complex relationship between intergenerational relationships and depression among older adults. The diverse findings on intergenerational instrumental support and depression in older adults suggest the need for further research to clarify this relationship and its nuances. This research may have practical implications for policies and interventions aimed at improving the mental well-being of older adults in Eastern Asian countries.

Functional limitation and happiness among older adults: the multiple mediating role of intergenerational support and intergenerational relationship.

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the functional limitation and happiness among Chinese older people and examined the multiple mediating effects of intergenerational support (instrumental support and financial support) and intergenerational relationship. Method: Data was drawn from the Chinese Family Panel Survey (CFPS) 2018 and 2020. Structural equation modeling was adopted to analyze the association among functional limitations, intergenerational support, intergenerational relationship, and the older adults happiness. Results: There was a significant association between the functional limitations and the lower happiness levels among the older adults. The instrumental support from adult children positively mediated the relationship between the functional limitation and the happiness. However, intergenerational relationships were reduced due to the dysfunction of the older adults, and played a negatively mediated role between the functional limitation and the happiness. In addition, instrumental and financial support play chain-mediating roles between functional limitation and happiness in older adults through intergenerational relationships. Conclusion: Intergenerational relationships and instrumental support enhance the happiness of older adults with functional impairments, but their role is limited by the changing structure of modern families. Long-term care programs combined with the intergenerational support from families for people with functional impairments in old age would be more effective to reduce the burden on adult children and maintain the quality of life of the older adults.

Association of intergenerational relationship and supports with cognitive performance in older adults: A systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: As individuals age, cognitive decline can significantly impact their quality of life. This systematic review aims to investigate the potential association between parent-child relationships among older adults in Eastern Asian countries and their cognitive performance. METHODS: For this research, a systematic search was conducted on several electronic databases including PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar search engine, up to March 2023. RESULTS: Out of 418 articles, 6 were eligible for inclusion in the study. The findings suggest that intergenerational relationships, particularly emotional support and two-way financial communications, are associated with maintaining cognitive health in older adults. CONCLUSIONS: Intergenerational relationships affect cognitive health in older adults, with implications for healthcare, social welfare, and the economy. Further research is required to investigate the effects of children's visits on cognitive health and explore the complexities of intergenerational relationships on cognitive health in aging populations.

A Latent Class Analysis of Intergenerational Relationships Among the Elderly Migrants in Nanjing, China.

Objective: This study aimed to identify (1) different types of intergenerational relationships among the elderly migrants, (2) factors influencing each type of relationship, and (3) the types significantly associated with psychological well-being of the elderly migrants. Methods: Data were collected from 654 elderly migrants in Nanjing, China. Incorporating ten solidarity conflict indicators, the latent class analysis (LCA) was performed to classify intergenerational relationships. Logistic regression were used to analyze influencing factors, and ordinary least squares (OLS) regression was used to analyze the relationship of each type of intergenerational relationship with depression and life satisfaction. Results: Three types of intergenerational relationships were classified: tight-knit (65%), conflicting (25%), distant intimate (10%). Gender, marital status, education level, annual income, subjective health, number of children and parentage were influencing factors for the three types. The tight-knit type predicted a healthy mental status. Discussion: Three intergenerational relationships exist between elderly migrants and their children in Nanjing, China. A closer relationship predicts a better mental health in the elderly migrants.

The Influence of Parent- and Adult Child-level Factors on Intergenerational Relationship Quality: A Study of Chinese Families with Multiple Children in Hong Kong.

Intergenerational relationships have become increasingly crucial for maintaining well-being in aging families. Under a changing sociocultural background, families in Hong Kong increasingly exhibit diverse intergenerational relationships and functioning. Focusing on families with mutiple children, this study investigated how the characteristics of parents and their adult children jointly affect different domains of intergenerational relationship quality. A two-stage stratified random sampling design was adopted. Face-to-face questionnaire interviews were conducted between November 2016 and March 2017 with 1,001 Hong Kong residents aged ≥ 50 years. Data of 612 parents and 1,745 adult children were included for analysis. Hierarchical linear modeling was performed to examine child- and parent-level correlates of intergenerational relationship quality. Parents who were female, were married, had higher self-perceived economic status, owned a house, and had fewer depressive symptoms, exhibited higher intergenerational relationship quality. Parents' age was positively related to affectual closeness, whereas their educational level was negatively related to both affectual closeness and conflict. More favorable intergenerational relationships were reported by aging parents whose adult children were younger, female, and married. Children with higher educational levels exhibited higher levels of both affectual closeness and conflict with their parents. Moreover, affectual closeness was found to be transmitted between generations. The findings can help improve awareness of the factors affecting the different domains of intergenerational relationships, thus informing the development of targeted services and interventions to promote family relationships and well-being.

Effect of intergenerational exchange patterns and intergenerational relationship quality on depressive symptoms in the elderly: An empirical study on CHARLS data.

Background: As the population ages with fewer children, depression symptoms are increasing among the elderly who lack companionship. Intergenerational support is closely related to depression in the elderly; hence how the behavioral patterns and emotional quality of intergenerational support affect depressive symptoms in the elderly should be further explored. Objective: To study the effects of intergenerational exchange patterns and intergenerational relationship quality on depressive symptoms in the elderly. Methods: A total of 8,015 people over 60 years old in CHARLS in 2018 were selected as the object of this study. First, the correlation between demographics, economic conditions, health status, intergenerational support patterns, intergenerational relationship quality, and depressive symptoms in the elderly were analyzed. Three regression analysis models were established to analyze the relationship between control variables, intergenerational support patterns, intergenerational relationship quality, and depressive symptoms in the elderly. Results: Among the intergenerational economic, care, and emotional exchange modes, the risk of depressive symptoms in the elderly in the mutual support group was 31.8, 38.4, and 25.5% lower than that in the non-communication group. Compared with the elderly with very poor intergenerational relationship quality, the elderly with good, very good, and excellent intergenerational relationship quality had 74.5, 84.0, and 85.6% lower risk of depressive symptoms. Discussion: Different cultural backgrounds also affect intergenerational exchange patterns and depression in the elderly. During the study of depressive symptoms, two aspects relating to intergenerational support should be considered behaviorally and emotionally: the intergenerational exchange model and the intergenerational relationship quality. As depression in the elderly is affected by multiple factors, the participation and joint efforts of the whole society are required to reduce depressive symptoms in the elderly and realize active aging. Conclusion: The intergenerational exchange pattern of mutual support and the higher quality of the intergenerational relationship can significantly reduce the depressive symptoms of the elderly.

You Are Old, but Are You Out? Intergenerational Contact Impacts on Out-Group Perspective-Taking and on the Roles of Stereotyping and Intergroup Anxiety.

Perspective-taking (PT) is an important ability to imagine the world from another's point of view. Prior studies have shown that younger adults are more likely to consider the opinions of age-based in-group members relative to out-group members. However, the cause of this priority is still unknown. We conducted three independent studies to explore the effect of intergenerational contact on younger adults' PT toward older adults and the possible roles of stereotyping and intergroup anxiety. A total of 192 college students completed the Perspective taking Scale in Study 1 after being primed with age-based intergroup relationships. The results indicated that younger adults found it more difficult to take the perspective of older adults than that of their peers. 200 college students completed the Prior Contact Scale, Intergroup Anxiety Scale, Negative Stereotype Scale, and PT Scale in Study 2. The results demonstrated that intergenerational contact improved PT toward older adults by disrupting negative stereotypes, and intergroup anxiety moderated this mediating relationship. A total of 215 college students completed the PT Scale in the context of imagining intergenerational contact in Study 3. Interestingly, imagined contact effectively increased younger adults' ability to take older adults' perspectives. The present research verifies that contact is important for influencing younger adults' emotional (intergroup anxiety) and attitudinal (stereotyping) factors that are critical to improving younger adults' ability to take older people's perspectives. This is of great significance for developing harmonious intergenerational relationships.

Cognitive Function Among Noncustodial Grandparents in China and the United States: A Cross-National Perspective.

The current study aimed to investigate the association between grandparenting and cognitive function over time in noncustodial grandparents in China and the United States. Lagged dependent variable (LDV) approach and linear regression models were applied to analyze a sample of 1,411 Chinese and 6,579 American adults aged 65 and above from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS, 2011-2013) and the U.S. Health and Retirement Study (HRS, 2012-2014). Grandparenting involvement was associated with less decline in episodic memory for grandparents and greater level of grandparenting had no negative effect on mental status and global cognitive function in noncustodial grandparents in China and the United States. The impact of grandparenting on cognitive function was conditioned on caregiving intensity, gender, urban/rural residence, and nation. Findings of the study suggest that greater attention on grandparenting facilitation might yield improved research, social support, policy, and interventions on cognitive health for the general older population.

Program Practices Predict Intergenerational Interaction Among Children and Adults.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Intergenerational programs, those engaging youth and adults of nonadjacent generations in shared programming for mutual benefit, are attracting increasing attention from funders, policymakers, and practitioners for the range of goals they can support. The mechanisms by which these goals are achieved are rarely studied. To address this gap, we analyzed the associations between specific intergenerational implementation practices and younger and older participant outcomes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Activity leaders at 5 sites serving adults and preschoolers received training to implement 14 evidence-based practices during intergenerational activities involving 84 adults (M = 75.25 years; range = 55-98) and 105 preschool participants (M = 3.26 years; range = 2-5) over 4 years. Measures of activity leaders' implementation of these practices and participants' behavioral responses to programming were gathered. We utilized multilevel modeling to test whether variations in implementation of practices were associated with variations in participants' responses to programming on a session-by-session basis. RESULTS: For both preschool and adult participants, analyses revealed that the implementation of certain practices was associated with significantly more intergenerational interaction. When more practices were implemented reflecting factors of (a) participant pairing and (b) person-centered care, both child and adult intergenerational interactions were higher. DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS: Practices used by intergenerational activity leaders during programming help to explain within-person responses of both child and adult participants. Intergenerational relationships may be a powerful means to achieve diverse goals; they depend on skillful practice by trained activity leaders.

Solidariedade, maturidade e ambivalência em avós e mães de crianças com deficiência: potencialidades e recursos nas trocas intergeracionais1 / Solidarity, maturity and ambivalence of grandmothers and mothers of children with disabilities: potentialities and resources in intergenerational exchanges

RESUMO: A literatura consagrou a importância de suporte e de atitudes solidárias na vida de pessoas que enfrentam adversidades. Nesse sentido, este estudo objetivou identificar e discutir o fenômeno da solidariedade intergeracional entre mães e avós de crianças com deficiência em uma amostra brasileira. Trata-se de um estudo descritivo, de caráter quantitativo. Os dados foram coletados com 76 participantes: díades de avós e mães de crianças com deficiência que apresentam dependência de adultos no cotidiano. Instrumentos de autorrelato foram administrados individualmente para apreender dimensões da relação intergeracional, de ambivalência e maturidade das mães e das avós. Os resultados indicam que a ambivalência intergeracional é a dimensão com valores mais baixos nas mães, mas uma das dimensões com valores mais elevados nas avós, juntamente à maturidade parental. Algumas implicações podem ser retiradas para a necessidade de levar em consideração a riqueza e a complexidade existente na reciprocidade das relações intergeracionais no geral e, em particular, entre cuidadoras de crianças com elevado nível de dependência. As intervenções, que visem colaborar para a coesão e bem-estar dessas famílias, devem considerar o papel desempenhado não só pela mãe e pelo pai, como cuidadores principais, mas também pelos avós, atendendo tanto ao apoio que prestam como às suas próprias necessidades de apoio, de informação e de autonomia. Estudos futuros podem tentar esclarecer, do ponto de vista qualitativo e quantitativo, essas relações diádicas, assim como introduzir outros indicadores de risco e de ajustamento adicionais, como outras pessoas que podem ser fontes de apoio, sejam ou não membros da família biológica.

ABSTRACT: Literature has established the importance of support and solidary attitudes in the lives of people facing adversity. In this sense, this study aimed to identify and discuss the phenomenon of intergenerational solidarity between mothers and grandmothers of children with disabilities in a Brazilian sample. This is a descriptive, quantitative study. Data were collected from 76 participants: dyads of grandmothers and mothers of children with disabilities who are dependent on adults in their daily lives. Self-report instruments were administered individually to apprehend dimensions of the intergenerational relationship, ambivalence and maturity of mothers and grandmothers. The results indicate that intergenerational ambivalence is the dimension with the lowest values in mothers, but one of the dimensions with the highest values in grandmothers, together with parental maturity. Some implications can be drawn from the need to take into account the richness and complexity existing in the reciprocity of intergenerational relationships in general and, in particular, between caregivers of children with a high level of dependency. Interventions aimed at contributing to the cohesion and well-being of these families must consider the role played not only by the mother and father, as the main caregivers, but also by the grandparents, attending both the support they provide and their own needs support, information and autonomy. Future studies may try to clarify, from a qualitative and quantitative point of view, these dyadic relationships, as well as to introduce other additional risk and adjustment indicators, such as other people who can be sources of support, whether or not they are members of the biological family.

Filial Piety and Parental Depressive Symptoms: All Children Matter - Evidence from Rural Northern China.

Little research has considered all children while investigating adult children's role in their older parents' health and well-being. In this study, we examine the effect of filial piety across all children on parental depressive symptoms. A sample of 432 older parents with 1,223 adult children in a rural county in northern China rated the filial piety level for each child individually. Ratings were then combined across multiple children and organized into an ordinal variable of filial piety including three levels: all children being filial, some of the children being filial, and none of the children being filial. Ordinary least squares linear regression analyses were performed. The results reveal a significant and negative relationship between adult children's filial piety levels and older parents' depressive symptoms after controlling for age, gender, marital status, financial strain, chronic conditions, and social support from family and friends, respectively. That is, one level lower in the adult children's filial piety corresponds to increase in level of older parents' depressive symptoms. Filial piety seems to benefit older Chinese parents' mental health net of social support from family and friends in this sample. Including information from all children in the analyses is informative for better understanding the psychological significance of filial piety for healthy aging in China.

Within-family patterns of intergenerational emotional closeness and psychological well-being of older parents in China.

Objectives: There may be a substantial difference in the intergenerational emotional closeness among offspring in a multi-child family, both regarding the overall level as well as the extent to which older parents differentiate emotional closeness between their children. This study addressed different within-family patterns based on the average level and differentiation of older parent-child emotional closeness. It also examined the associations between these distinct patterns and the psychological well-being of older parents in China.Method: We derived a final sample of 4247 older parents (aged 60+) with 14,461 children from the baseline wave (2010) of the China Family Panel Studies. A latent profile analysis was applied to classify within-family patterns based on two indicators: within-family mean level and differentiation of parent-child emotional closeness among offspring. Ordered logistic regression and ordinary least square (OLS) regression were used to investigate the associations between these patterns and older adults' life satisfaction and depression, respectively.Results: Two family patterns of parent-child emotional closeness were identified: tight-knit (91.50%) and highly ambivalent (8.50%). Compared with the former, older parents having highly ambivalent relationships across multiple offspring tended to have lower life satisfaction and higher levels of depression.Conclusion: This study highlighted the importance of capturing different within-family dynamics of intergenerational emotional closeness in Chinese families. It also pointed out the negative effects of collective ambivalence for older adults' psychological well-being.

Like Parent, Like Child? Aging Anxiety Among Married Korean Baby Boomers.

OBJECTIVES: How intergenerational relationships influence individuals' views on aging remains understudied. This study investigated how multiple older family members' health and financial challenges may shape middle-aged adults' aging anxiety. METHOD: Married Korean baby boomers (N = 1,389) from the Korean Baby Boomer Panel Study reported on their own aging anxiety and rated each of their living parents' and in-laws' health and financial conditions. Using structural equation modeling, we examined how parents' and in-laws' health and financial challenges are associated with one's aging anxiety, and whether gender and frequency of intergenerational contact moderate the link. We expected worse health or financial conditions to be associated with higher levels of aging anxiety, and the effect to be more pronounced for women and those with more contact. RESULTS: A worse financial condition of the poorest parent/in-law was associated with higher levels of aging anxiety, while worse health condition of the unhealthiest parent/in-law was associated with lower levels of aging anxiety. The same results were found when we considered the sum of all living parents' and in-laws' financial and health conditions. Frequency of contact moderated the effect of the financial condition of the poorest parent/in-law, such that individuals reporting more contact with the poorest parent/in-law showed higher levels of aging anxiety than those with less contact. There was no moderating effect of gender. DISCUSSION: The findings highlight the role family ties play in shaping one's aging anxiety. Interventions aimed at improving views on aging through intergenerational interactions should target the quality of the intergenerational experience.

Effects of Sharing Old Pictures With Grandchildren on Intergenerational Relationships: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Intergenerational relationships are beneficial for both grandparents and grandchildren. A positive grandparent-grandchild relationship can improve the psychological well-being of older adults and be a source of social support, family history, and identity development. Maintaining meaningful interactions can be, however, a challenging endeavor, especially as life events lead to relocating geographically. Grandparents and grandchildren can have different preferences in terms of communication mediums and different assumptions about the real conversational needs of the other. OBJECTIVE: In this study, we will investigate the feasibility and effect of sharing memories of older adults with their grandchildren in social media. This intervention focuses on bringing snippets of the lives of the grandparents into the grandchildren's social media feed and analyzing the potential effect on relational quality, relational investment, and conversational resources from the perspective of the grandchildren. METHODS: A randomized controlled trial will be used to measure the effectiveness of sharing family memories through social media on intergenerational relationships from the perspective of the grandchildren. The study will be implemented in Mongolia among 60 grandparent-grandchild pairs who will be assigned to either a control or intervention group. Pictures and stories will be collected during reminiscence sessions between the researchers and the grandparents before the intervention. During an intervention period of 2 months, grandchildren in the intervention group will receive pictures and stories of their grandparents on their social media account. Pre- and postintervention questionnaires will measure relationship quality, relationship investment, and conversational resources and will be used to assess the effectiveness of the intervention. RESULTS: We conducted a pretest pilot from January to April 2018 among 6 pairs of participants (6 grandparents and 6 grandchildren). The validation of the protocol was focused on the process, instruments, and technological setup. We continued the study after the validation, and 59 pairs of participants (59 grandparents and 59 grandchildren) have been recruited. The data collection was completed in November 2019. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study will contribute to strategies to stimulate social interactions in intergenerational pairs. A validation of the study process is also presented to provide further operational recommendations. The lessons learned during the validation of the protocol are discussed with recommendations and implications for the recruitment, reminiscence sessions, technological setup, and administration of instruments. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/16315.

A relação intergeracional entre o avós e netos: revisão integrativa / The intergerational relationship between grandparents and grandchildren: an integrative literature review / Relación intergeracional entre abuelos y nietos: revisión integrativa

Objective: The study's main purpose has been to underline scientific publications addressing the intergenerational relationship between grandparents and grandchildren. Methods: It is an integrative literature review. Data collection took place through five databases as follows: CINAHL, Web of Science, Scopus, MEDLINE and LILACS. Furthermore, the following descriptors were used: Elderly; Intergenerational Relationship; Grandparents; preschool children, as well as: Idoso; Relação Intergeracional; Avós; Escolares. Results: Based on this approach, the final sample was comprised by 23 articles. Conclusion: The relationship between elderly people and children was found to have a positive impact on both maintaining autonomy and independence in some activities, keeping up the cognitive and motor level, and influencing socialization as well

Objetivo: Evidenciar as publicações científicas sobre a relação intergeracional entre avós e netos. Método: Trata-se de uma revisão integrativa e para a coleta dos dados foram definidas cinco bases de dados: Cinahl, Web of Science, Scopus, MedLine e Lilacs. Também, foram utilizados os descritores: Elderly; Intergenerational Relations; Grandparents; preschool children e os descritores: Idoso; Relação Intergeracional; Avós; Escolares. Resultados: A partir dessa exposição a amostra final ficou integrada por 23 artigos incluídos na revisão. Conclusão: A relação entre a pessoa idosa e a criança, pode refletir positivamente na manutenção da autonomia e independência em algumas atividades, manter o nível cognitivo e motor, influenciar na socialização

Objetivo: Destacar las publicaciones científicas sobre la relación intergeneracional entre abuelos y nietos. Método: Se trata de una revisión integradora y para la recolección de datos se definieron cinco bases de datos: Cinahl, Web of Science, Scopus, MedLine y Lilacs. Además, se utilizaron los descriptores: Anciano; Relaciones intergeneracionales; Abuelos; niños en edad preescolar y los descriptores: Anciano; Relación intergeneracional; Abuelos; Colegio. Resultados: A partir de esta exposición, la muestra final fue integrada por 23 artículos incluidos en la revisión. Conclusión: La relación entre el anciano y el niño puede reflejarse positivamente en el mantenimiento de la autonomía e independencia en algunas actividades, manteniendo los niveles cognitivo y motor, influyendo en la socialización

Who Are the Beneficiaries of China's New Rural Pension Scheme? Sons, Daughters, or Parents?

y applying a fuzzy regression discontinuity design, this study investigates whether sons, daughters, or parents are the beneficiaries of China's New Rural Pension Scheme. Using data drawn from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Survey, our results indicate that pension income crowds out approximately 27.9% of the monetary support from adult sons and decreases the likelihood that adult sons live with their parents by 6.5%. However, we do not find a significant effect of pension income on the likelihood that adult daughters live with their parents. In regards to the well-being of parents, which is measured by consumption and health outcomes, the results show that pension income increases food and non-food consumption by 16.3 and 15.1%, respectively, and improves the psychological health of the elderly. Accounting for the different effects of pension income for those with different income levels, our results show that the New Rural Pension Scheme only has a significant effect on the poor elderly.

Changing Perception of the Rights and Responsibilities in Family Care for Older People in Urban China.

As an ageing society, China has undergone various political and economic transitions since the 1980s, which has raised a series of social and policy concerns about the practicality of relying on family support in the care of older people. To understand the changing social expectations and the corresponding societal responses, the shifting perception of the rights and responsibilities associated with the family care of older people has to be comprehended first. Based on 39 qualitative interviews in two Chinese cities, Beijing and Guangzhou, this research contributes to an understanding of the pursuit of a "good life" by older people in contemporary urban China. It points to the argument that independence and autonomy in old age, as valued by the interviewees, will not be realised unless there is a shift in policy to recognise and respect the individuality of older people and facilitate their life choices.

Intergenerational relationship, family social support, and depression among Chinese elderly: A structural equation modeling analysis.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the association among intergenerational relationship, family social support, and elderly's depression symptoms. METHOD: Data were obtained from China Longitudinal Aging Social Survey (CLASS) 2014, which is a continuous large-scale national social survey project conducted by the National Survey Research Center at Renmin University of China. Stratified multi-stage probability sampling method was used to collect the sample (N = 11,511). Structural equation modeling was adopted to analyze the association among intergenerational relationship, family social support, and elderly's depression. RESULTS: Intergenerational relationship and family social support were negatively correlated with an elderly's depression level. Elderly who enjoyed positive intergenerational relationships with their children would experience adequate family social support and likely have few depression symptoms. CONCLUSION: Intergenerational relationship directly affected the elderly's depression level. Family social support played a mediating role between intergenerational relationship and depression. Our findings could contribute to current theories and knowledge and provide implications in social policy, pension service, and social work intervention for the elderly in China.